Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Said al-Sahhaf said in Doha Sunday that his country has granted political asylum to two Saudis who hijacked a Saudi plane to Baghdad October 15, the Qatari ANA agency reported.

"Baghdad has granted political asylum to the two hijackers, responding to their request, after questioning them," Sahhaf told journalists on his arrival in Doha on a visit to Qatar.

Saudi Arabia has twice requested the extradition of the two Saudis, and its interior minister, Prince Nayef bin Abdel Aziz, had said his country would call upon Interpol, as the two countries have not had diplomatic relations since the Gulf War of 1991.

But Iraq said it refused to extradite the two men.

Iraqi Interior Minister Mohamed Zamman Abdel Razzak said October 17 that the Iraqi people "have never, throughout their long history, handed over an intruder and even less so if he is using his right to his land, Iraq being the land of all Arabs."

"If you change your attitude, we will think about changing ours," he added.

The Boeing 777 flying from Jeddah to London was highjacked to Baghdad. Its passengers were quickly released at the Saddam International airport and the hijackers were taken into custody and questioned by the Iraqi authorities – DOHA (AFP)